Lagos, Nigeria — The Lagos State Government has faulted the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) over its decision to shift operational focus from Lagos ports to the Warri Port Complex, a move the authority says is meant to ease chronic congestion at Apapa and Tin Can Island.
Recent NPA performance data show that the revitalised Warri and Koko ports in Delta State are now handling an average of about 45 vessels monthly, with vessel turnaround time down to roughly 2.9 days and waiting time under two days—figures officials tout as proof that diverting traffic from Lagos is working.
But Lagos insists the problem is not the ports themselves, but what it calls deeply flawed policies within the NPA.
Speaking to Vanguard, the Senior Special Assistant to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu on Transportation and Logistics, Adekoya Hassan, said the decision “underscores the need for policy reform, not a retreat from Lagos.”
“While Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has shown unwavering dedication to addressing the issue, NPA’s policies remain a significant obstacle to seamless cargo movement within the Apapa Port corridor,” he said.
Hassan listed multiple toll points, an inefficient and easily gamed Ètò e–call-up system, alleged racketeering and favouritism in truck scheduling, abuse of power by some senior officials, and misinformation spread through truck unions as key drivers of the Apapa gridlock.
According to him, if these were cleaned up and updated “to reflect present economic realities,” congestion around Apapa and Tin Can would fall sharply, removing the need for what he described as an “unpopular decision” to de-emphasise Lagos ports, which still handle the bulk of Nigeria’s maritime trade.
He urged that the “true situation” be laid before President Bola Tinubu, stressing that NPA’s own actions and regulatory choices sit at the heart of Lagos’ persistent traffic nightmare.
The NPA, under its broader plan to revive Delta ports and decongest Lagos, has argued that pushing more cargo to Warri, Koko and other eastern ports will promote regional equity, reduce pressure on Lagos roads and support economic diversification.
Maritime analysts say the clash highlights a deeper tension between Lagos—still Nigeria’s dominant logistics hub despite the rise of Lekki Deep Sea Port—and a federal push to rebalance traffic across underused ports in the Niger Delta and South-East.
For shippers, the immediate question is whether the policy will translate into lower costs and faster clearance overall, or simply shift congestion from one part of the coastline to another while political actors trade blame.
